This invention relates generally to an inflatable restraint apparatus having an air bag deployment door formed with a trim panel and, more particularly, to such an apparatus having a small size, low mass, and compact packaging.
Inflatable restraint systems which protect non-driver front-seat passengers are located in trim panels, such as instrument panels, located immediately in front of such passengers in a vehicle. These inflatable restraint systems make use of various types of air bag deployment doors through which an air bag exits the panel into the passenger compartment.
Some of these air bag deployment doors, because of their large size, make contact with the windshield upon deployment. If the windshield fractures or breaks, this can result in glass fragmentation entering the passenger compartment and possibly injuring occupants.
Still other air bag deployment doors have a high mass that requires a more powerful gas charge in order to deploy properly. The increased door mass and corresponding gas charge require more structure and added cost to adequately facilitate deployment. The added structure, if not property designed, may pose a hazard to vehicle occupants in the form of added fragmentation upon air bag deployment Also, because of the high mass, the doors present an added hazard to out-of-position vehicle occupants who might be contacted by the door upon air bag deployment and suffer injury.
Still other inflatable restraint systems make use of an air bag dispenser with a rectangular air bag receptacle and a rectangular air bag dispenser opening. Such dispensers make use of a rectangular air bag receptacle to provide sufficient receptacle volume to contain an air bag of the size necessary for passenger-side protection. However, such dispensers take up considerable packaging space along the backside surface of the panel, thus limiting the number of possible locations for their incorporation.
It is believed that large air bag deployment doors and air bag dispensers have also been viewed by consumers and manufacturers alike as providing additional protection as a function of their size. In other words, a larger air bag deployment door is indicative of a larger air bag which will provide additional safety as compared to a smaller air bag deployment door which could only contain a smaller air bag.
What is needed is an inflatable restraint system having an air bag deployment door of small size, low mass, and compact packaging which addresses the aforementioned issues, and provides the same sized air bag that is associated with larger air bag deployment doors and air bag dispensers.
According to the invention, an inflatable restraint apparatus for an automotive vehicle is provided that comprises an air bag deployment door formed in a trim panel. The air bag deployment door outer surface has an outer surface area in the range between and including 5 in2 to 35 in2, and at least a portion of the perimeter comprises a frangible marginal edge. The apparatus also comprises an air bag dispenser containing an air bag having a volume of at least 90 liters. In this manner, an inflatable restraint apparatus is provided with an air bag deployment door of small size coupled with an air bag of sufficient volume to protect passenger-side front-seat occupants in the event of air bag deployment.
According to another aspect of the invention, an inflatable restraint apparatus for an automotive vehicle is provided that comprises an air bag deployment door formed in a trim panel. The air bag deployment door has a perimeter at least a portion of which comprises a frangible marginal edge. The frangible marginal edge comprises a frangible length wherein at least 20% of the frangible length is non-linear. In this manner, an inflatable restraint apparatus is provided with an air bag deployment door having a shape which makes tear propagation of the frangible marginal edge more predictable by eliminating sharp corners that can be truncated during air bag deployment.
According to another aspect of the invention, an air bag dispenser is provided that comprises an elongated container having an air bag receptacle containing an air bag and an inflator receptacle containing an inflator. In this manner, the air bag and inflator are provided in a single container with compact packaging.